FAMU Baseball Splits on Opening Day

JACKSON, Miss. (Feb. 18) - The Florida A&M Baseball team used a four-run seventh inning to rally past the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, 5-2 in the second game of the Jackson State University Baseball Tournament, here Friday afternoon at the Robert Brady, Sr. Field.

FAMU (1-1) tallied seven hits, while UAPB (0-1) finished with four.

Steven Dollar (1-0) picked up the win for the Rattlers as he struck out three in one and two-thirds innings relief. Tim Jones started the game for FAMU as he struck out 11, allowing four hits and giving up two earned runs in five and one-third innings of work.

Cornelius Wyatt (0-1) received the loss for UAPB as he faced 11 batters, striking out two, giving up four hits and four earned runs in two innings of relief.

The Rattlers were paced by Cory Franklin and Jackson Cannon as they both finished with two hits each.

Barry McDonley had the hot bat for the Golden Lions as he went two-for-three from the plate with a RBI.

FAMU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning as Cannon scored on Tobi Adeyemi double to right field.

UAPB would bounce back in the bottom of the sixth inning as they scored a pair of runs on a McDonley single to right field scoring Lloyd Burchett. Then Christian Matz would score on a Brandon Maddox hit-by-pitch, giving the Golden Lions a 2-1 lead.

In the top of the seventh inning, FAMU would plate four runs as Scott Sheplak scored on a Cannon single. Then Oscar Santalo would double to left field scoring Daniel Lee, followed by a Reginald Grant sacrifice bunt scoring Antonio Kilpatrick. Adeyemi would then score on a Cory Franklin single down the left field line for the 5-2 final.

In the Rattlers first game of the JSU Baseball Tournament, FAMU would drop a 13-4 decision to tourney host Jackson State.

Quintavious Drains (1-0) picked up the win for the Tigers as he gave up five hits, three earned runs and striking out three in five innings on the mound, while David Duncan (0-1) received the loss for the Rattlers as he allowed 11 hits, six earned runs and striking out three in three and one-third innings of work.

Both Jarryd Reid and Reginald Grant finished with two hits each for FAMU, while both Gabriel Babineaux and Glenn Walker finished with three hits apiece for JSU.

The Tigers picked up fours in the bottom of the second inning as Babineaux tripled to left field scoring Macolm Tate. The Babineaux would score on a bases loads balk by a Rattler pitcher. Then Kendall Logan would score on a FAMU infielder’s error, followed by a Glenn Walker single scoring Willie Wesley.

The Rattlers would cut the Tigers’ lead to 4-2 in the top of the third inning as Adeyemi singled to left field scoring Adam Decker. Then Adeyemi would score on a Franklin ground out to second base.

A three-run blast by Charles Epperson, followed by a Frank Solis solo homer gave the JSU a 8-2 lead in the bottom of the third inning.

FAMU would pick two more runs in the top of the fifth inning as JSU scored three more runs in the bottom of the fourth and two runs in the bottom of the sixth for the 13-4 final.

The Rattlers will return to action on Saturday, February 19 as they will take on Prairie View A&M at Noon, then will take on UAPB at 3 p.m. in their final day of the JSU Baseball Tournament.

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